At its meeting on 25 April, the World Trade Organization’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) agreed to a request from China to establish a panel to examine the European Union’s countervailing duties on new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) imported from China.
This marks China’s second request to form a dispute panel on the matter, following the EU’s rejection of the initial request at the DSB meeting held on 24 March. In its complaint, China challenges both the final countervailing duties imposed by the EU and the investigation that led to their imposition, claiming that the measures are inconsistent with various provisions of WTO law.
China emphasized its willingness to engage in constructive dialogue and reiterated its commitment to resolving the issue within the WTO framework.
The European Union, for its part, stood by the legitimacy of its measures, asserting that they are fully compliant with WTO rules and expressing confidence in a favorable outcome.
The DSB’s decision to establish the panel initiates the formal adjudication phase of the dispute.
Seventeen WTO members—Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Norway, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States—have reserved their third-party rights to participate in the proceedings.
